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Bible Verses About Rejection

83 verses on this topic, ordered Genesis to Revelation

The biblical narrative portrays rejection as a profound human experience that both reflects and reveals the brokenness of our fallen world. From the earliest stories, individuals and communities encounter exclusion—whether through familial estrangement, social marginalization, or spiritual alienation. The Scriptures consistently illustrate how rejection can stem from fear, misunderstanding, or the influence of sin, yet they also underscore the persistent invitation to compassion, forgiveness, and restoration. In the prophetic literature, the plight of the rejected serves as a vivid warning about the consequences of turning away from covenantal faithfulness, while simultaneously pointing to God’s steadfast love that seeks to heal and reintegrate the outcast.

Throughout the New Testament, the theme of rejection reaches its fullest expression in the person of Jesus, whose own experience of being spurned by his own people becomes the ultimate catalyst for divine redemption. The Gospel writers present his willingness to endure rejection as a testament to the depth of God’s grace, inviting believers to emulate his example by extending mercy to those who are marginalized. Moreover, the apostolic teachings encourage the church to embody an inclusive community that refuses to repeat patterns of exclusion, urging believers to welcome the rejected as fellow heirs of God’s promise. In this way, the biblical witness transforms rejection from a source of despair into an arena for the display of divine compassion and the pursuit of reconciliation.

All 83 matching verses, ordered from Genesis to Revelation.

"And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."

1 Samuel 8:7

"And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands."

1 Samuel 10:19

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

1 Samuel 15:23

"And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel."

1 Samuel 15:26

"And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons."

1 Samuel 16:1

"And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them."

2 Kings 17:15

"And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight."

2 Kings 17:20

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Isaiah 53:3

"Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them."

Jeremiah 2:37

"Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it."

Jeremiah 6:19

"Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them."

Jeremiah 6:30

"Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath."

Jeremiah 7:29

"The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?"

Jeremiah 8:9

"Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!"

Jeremiah 14:19

"But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us."

Lamentations 5:22

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."

Hosea 4:6

"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"

Matthew 21:42

"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."

Mark 8:31

"And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:"

Mark 12:10

"But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."

Luke 7:30

"Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."

Luke 9:22

"But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."

Luke 17:25

"And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?"

Luke 20:17

"And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus."

Galatians 4:14

"But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned."

Hebrews 6:8

"For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Hebrews 12:17

"And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes."

Genesis 16:4

"And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee."

Genesis 16:5

"Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

Genesis 25:34

"The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes."

Leviticus 26:43

"But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?"

Numbers 11:20

"But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised."

Numbers 14:31

"Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him."

Numbers 15:31

"Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them."

Judges 9:38

"But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace."

1 Samuel 10:27

"And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart."

2 Samuel 6:16

"Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."

2 Samuel 12:9

"Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

2 Samuel 12:10

"This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee."

2 Kings 19:21

"And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal, the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart."

1 Chronicles 15:29

"But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy."

2 Chronicles 36:16

"But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?"

Nehemiah 2:19

"Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:"

Nehemiah 4:4

"He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease."

Job 12:5

"Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me."

Job 19:18

"But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people."

Psalms 22:6

"For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard."

Psalms 22:24

"There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them."

Psalms 53:5

"Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:"

Psalms 106:24

"I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts."

Psalms 119:141

"They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof."

Proverbs 1:30

"And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;"

Proverbs 5:12

"A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised."

Proverbs 12:8

"He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread."

Proverbs 12:9

"Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard."

Ecclesiastes 9:16

"O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised."

Song of Solomon 8:1

"Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel."

Isaiah 5:24

"The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man."

Isaiah 33:8

"This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee."

Isaiah 37:22

"The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel."

Isaiah 60:14

"Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?"

Jeremiah 22:28

"Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them."

Jeremiah 33:24

"For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men."

Jeremiah 49:15

"And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest."

Lamentations 2:6

"For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant."

Ezekiel 16:59

"As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die."

Ezekiel 17:16

"Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape."

Ezekiel 17:18

"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head."

Ezekiel 17:19

"But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them."

Ezekiel 20:13

"Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols."

Ezekiel 20:16

"Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols."

Ezekiel 20:24

"Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths."

Ezekiel 22:8

"And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 28:24

"Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:"

Amos 2:4

"Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised."

Obadiah 1:2

"For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth."

Zechariah 4:10

"A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"

Malachi 1:6

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:"

Luke 18:9

"So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth."

Acts 19:27

"And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:"

1 Corinthians 1:28

"We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised."

1 Corinthians 4:10

"He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:"

Hebrews 10:28

"But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?"

James 2:6

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